Whenever I hear the word “practice,” I think about Allen Iverson and his rant.

Practice is probably the least favorite part of most athletes’ work. Season after season, athletes have to spend hours going over the same drills to prepare for the games. From what I can tell about Iverson’s rant, he didn’t think that highly of practice. Understandably so considering his talent and the effort he brought to every game, but it was also clear (if you watch to the end) that he didn’t understand how practice wasn’t only about making himself better but his teammates.

On the other hand, Junior Seau, one of the great NFL linebackers, said when asked why he practiced so hard, “I get paid to practice. I play the game for free.” Quite a different attitude.

And it’s that attitude we need to take as writers. We need to understand that everything we write is “practice,” and eventually, if we work hard at our writing it will be game ready when the opportunity comes.

Practice is not a bad word. In fact, doctors and lawyers do it their entire career. Think about it, your doctor is practicing on you, and he or she is dealing with life and death situations. As a writer, you’re only risking the lives of the people you’ve imagined.

So let me encourage you to practice. Practice your writing craft. Tell yourself you get paid to practice. Don’t stop. Keep practicing every day and make your work ready for game time.